Safety shoelaces



Sept. 8, 1970 c. PARTAGAS SAFETY SHOELACES Filed Dec. 17, 1968 IN VENTOR CATA LIN A PARTA G AS FIG.8

United States Patent 2 Claims ABSTRACT on THE DISCLOSURE This invention consists of a shoelace having one end enlarged and the other end reduced in diameter for a predetermined length in order to be threaded through an opening in the instep of the shoe to which it is secured.

The aforesaid instep of the shoe is provided with an overlapping member that is suitably secured on top of the lower end of the shoelace after the lace has secured the shoe on the foot. This is accomplished by the shoelace being wrapped around two laterally spaced hooks on the instep of the shoe. The aforesaid overlapping member of the shoe may be secured at one end to the shoe by a metal hinge, a zipper fastener, or any other desired means. The flap may be secured over the lower end of the shoelace by a zipper fastener or by any other desired means. The same form of securement of the lower end of the shoelace may be applied to the upper end of the same lace, the only difference being that the flap is located on the side and near the top of the shoe.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a safety shoelace that will prevent one from tripping over the lace should the lace become untied.

Another object of this invention is to provide a safety shoelace that is especially adaptable to baby shoes so as to prevent the baby from removing the shoes by untieing the shoelaces.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a safety shoelace that will have a longer life than is normally possible with present day shoelaces by reason of the fact that it is not necessary to tie a knot in the lace as is now normally required in order to hold the shoe on the foot.

Other and further objects of this invention will no doubt become apparent as the reading of this specification and its appended claims proceeds and the accompanying drawing is examined.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a babys shoe having this invention of a safety shoelace thereon.

FIG. 2 is a pictorial view of that detail of this invention as indicated by the arrowed line and number 2 on FIG. 1, but with the overlapping member in an open position.

FIG. 3 is a pictorial view of the safety shoelace.

FIG. 4 is a front pictorial view of this invention with its securement at the instep of the shoe rather than at the top, as in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged front view of the lower portion of this invention, illustrated in FIG. 4, and with the flap open.

FIG. 6 is a front pictorial view of a portion of a shoe having this invention secured thereto with a zipper secured flap in a closed position.

FIG. 7 is a portion of FIG. 6 but with the zippered flap open.

FIG. 8 is a pictorial view of a portion of a shoe with another form of flap in a closed position.

FIG. 9 is a pictorial view of a portion of FIG. 8 showing the flap in an open position.

Patented Sept. 8, 1970 FIG. 10 is a pictorial side view of the top of a shoe having this invention secured thereto with a zippered top flap in a closed position.

FIG. 11 is a pictorial view, similar to that of FIG. 10, but with the zippered top flap in an open position.

In the different views of the accompanying drawing, the shoe is indicated by the letter S while the like parts of this invention are indicated by like reference numbers.

The reference number 15 indicates the safety shoelace that is the major part of the invention which also embodies the structure of that part of the shoe that secures the ends of the shoelace.

Looking first at FIG. 3 of the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that the aforesaid safety shoelace 15 consists of the lacing member 16 having one enlarged end 17 and the other end 18 of a slightly smaller diameter than the already mentioned lacing member 16.

There are two ways in which this novel invention can be adapted to lace a shoe. The shoelace 15 can either be threaded in the openings in the shoe S in such a manner as to have the enlarged end 17 of the shoelace at the instep of the shoe, as in FIGS. 1 and 2, 8 and 9, and 10 and 11, or it can also be threaded in the openings in such a Way that the aforesaid enlarged end 17 of the shoelace is at the top of the shoe S, as in FIGS. 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the accompanying drawing.

Directing ones attention to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing, it will be seen that in the first mentioned form of adaptation of this invention, the shoe S has its shoelace 15 threaded in the openings of the shoe with the enlarged end 17 of the shoelace in one of the openings nearest the instep 19. The other end 18 of the shoelace 15 terminates at the hook 20 that is located on the outside surface of the rectangular reinforcement 21 which is on one side and near the top of shoe S, as one can see by looking at FIG. 2 of the drawing. Here it is seen that the aforesaid shoelace is also wrapped around hook 22. A hinged flap 23 is located at the upper edge of the shoe quarter adjacent the tongue opening and suitably covers the hook 20 and the upper end of the shoelace 15 to protect the lace from its accidentally becoming untied and tripped over or entangled with an object, thereby causing the wearer of the shoes to fall and perhaps suffer an injury.

Looking now at FIGS. 4 and 5, it will be seen that herein is illustrated a shoe S that is secured on the foot of the wearer by the shoelace 15 which has its enlarged end 17 at the top of the shoe although it is not visible in either of the two aforesaid figures of the drawing. The end 18 of the shoelace 15 is seen in FIG. 5 to be secured to hook 24 after the shoelace has been wrapped around the hook 25. The hinged flap 26 and the two aforesaid hooks 24 and 25 are seen in FIG. 5 to be located at the aforesaid instep 19 of the shoe. FIGS. 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawing illustrate this invention embodying a zippered flap 27 that is located on the aforesaid instep 19 of the shoe S.

In the optional form of this invention, illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 of the drawing, the shoelace 15 is seen in FIG. 9 to have its end member 18 wrapped around the hook 28, located at the top of the shoe S. The shoe is provided with a rectangular hinged flap 29 that covers all of the shoelace 15 after the shoe has been laced up on ones foot, as can be seen in FIG. 8 of the drawing.

Directing ones attention to FIGS. 10 and 11 of the drawing, it will be seen that the only difference between this form of the invention and that illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is that a third hook 30 has been added, as one can see by looking at FIG. 11, and that a zippered flap 31 is used instead of the aforesaid hinged flap 23. When the zippered flap 31 is used, the flap is provided with an opening 32 through which the upper end of the shoelace 15 is threaded before it is wrapped around the aforesaid hooks 30, 20, and 21.

This invention is subject to any and all changes in detail construction and/or modifications that one may care to make in the same in so long as the changes and/or modifications fall within the scope and intent of the appended claims. This invention can be adapted to shoes for either sex of any style of shoe requiring a shoelace. The shoe and shoelace can be made of any desired material and in any size and/or color. The shoelace can be of any desired cross-sectional configuration.

What I now claim as new is:

1. In combination a safety shoelace and a shoe, said shoe having a vamp, a quarter, a tongue and tongue opening, one or more hooks secured to said quarter adjacent the tongue opening, at least one of said hooks being located adjacent the top edge of the quarter, the said shoelace embodying structure at one end adapted to prevent the said shoelace from becoming disconnected from the shoe to which the said shoelace is secured; and the other end of the said shoelace having structure adapted to secure the said shoelace to said one or more hooks; and a flap hinged to the upper edge of the quarter adjacent the tongue opening to cover the said hooks and said other end of the said shoelace after the shoe has been laced on the foot.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein the said hinged flap and the upper of the shoe are provided with cooperating zipper elements for securing the said flap in closed position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 359,477 3/1887 Ten Eyck 24 11s 723,055 3/1903 Smith 24-118 1,320,849 11/1919 Eklund 24-117 1,876,263 9/1932 Pittroif 241 17 2,088,851 8/1937 Gantenbein 36-50 2,871,537 2/1959 Hickerson. 3,122,805 3/ 1964 Hakim.

FOREIGN PATENTS 518,300 2/ 1931 Germany.

556,216 2/ 1957 Italy.

264,894 11/ 1949 Switzerland.

ALFRED R. GUEST, Primaiy Examiner 

